Is ischemia associated with the formation of White matter lesions in migraine?

•Ischemia-modified albumin was higher in migraine patients than in the control group.•In the migraineurs with WMLs IMA levels were higher than those without WMLs.•In the migraineurs thiol/disulfide homeostasis was different from the control group.•Ischemia and oxidative stress are involved in the pathogenesis of migraine.•Ischemia/hypoxia may play a role in WMLs formation in migraine. White matter lesions (WMLs) are more common in migraine patients than in the normal population. Ischemia/hypoxia and oxidative stress are considered to play a role in WMLs formation. This study aimed to investigate ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), ferroxidase and thiol/disulfide homeostasis in migraineurs with and without WMLs. Sixty-two migraineurs with WML, 59 migraineurs without WML and 61 controls were included in the study. All participants underwent brain MRI. WMLs was evaluated according to the Fazekas scale. IMA, ferroxidase, total thiol, native thiol and disulfide measurements were carried out in all participants. The IMA levels were higher in the migraine groups compared to the control group (p